Report 1043: Luggage, Lattes and Lunacy

Page 10 of 17: May 28: Mass and Lunch with Zia Agnese and Paul

Lunch with Zia Agnese

I slept in until 8:30, had coffee, and dressed nicely to go to mass at Vico’s beautiful old church. I was determined to have a stress-free day. I thought, “I am in Bella Italia, with wonderful food, a beautiful view, and it is OK that this is a different kind of vacation. It is still your vacation, and you get to do whatever you want today.” The strong Pollyanna part of me was optimistic. We arrived at the church and took some photos. I prayed for patience and harmony during the rest of our trip. The church was simple, yet beautiful. We joined Agnese afterwards and met a few more Vico locals.

We drove up to Circolo where we met our other host, Agnese’s son, Paul. Lunch was great. We started with antipasti, then gnocchi in lemon sauce. Next came meat ravioli with Bolognese sauce. The secondi included braised venison and roasted chicken with rosemary. Finally we finished the meal with crème caramel and cappuccino. Agnese opened her card and bracelet and was very touched. We returned home at 4. Ida and Gail drove up to see the ski resort near Abetone. It was a cold, windy day, so I dressed snugly, took a nap, did my nails and finished reading Alibi (which takes place in Venice). They returned at 8, and I talked to Brad and packed for San Gimignano tomorrow. It was a much-needed easy day.